Aerial vessel



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J. B. BLANGHARD. AERIAL VESSEL.

Patented Feb. 6, 1894.

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Patented Feb. 6, 1894.

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AERIAL VESSEL Patented Feb. 6, 1894;

UNrrEo STATES PATENT EErcE.

JEROME B. BLANOHARD, OF HIGHLANDS, COLORADO.

AERIAL VESSEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,408, dated February 6, 1894.

Application filed August 1, 1891. Serial No. 1 1T model-3 To aZZ whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, JEROME B. ELANOHARD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Highlands, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aerial Vessels; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in air ships and the object of the invention is to provide an apparatus capable of navigat ing the atmosphere much in the same manner as ships or steamers at present navigate the sea. a

The apparatus is made very buoyant and propelled by a screw operated by any suitable power. The movementof the machine creates the air current which may be regulated by varying the velocity. This air current acting on'the inclined plane of the adj usiable rudder or steering apparatus causes the machine to rise in the atmosphere. By this means gravity is overcome and the air ship will rise as surely as the kite which is acted upon by the air current created by the running boy. The kite is held at a suitable inclination to the current of atmosphere and will rise to the limit of its string. The air ship may be rapidly propelled to create suflicient current to overcome its greater gravity. The ship is started from an elevated tramway station having suitable length to permit the ship to attain a velocity that will cause it to rise before it leaves the starting station.

The invention will be fully understood by reference to the acccompanying drawings in which is shown an apparatus designed to illustrate the principle of this invention only.

I do not wish to limit myself to any particular construction as I am aware that my principle may be carried out by the use of innumerable constructions.

In the drawings, Figured is a side elevation of a mechanism which will help to explain my improved method of aerial navigation Fig. 2, a horizontal section on line a:oc,

Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a vertical transverse section on line y-y,Fig.2. Fig. 4 is a side elevation in detail of the steering apparatus. Fig. 5 is a plan view, and Fig. 6 an end view of the same. Fig. '7 is a perspective View of a tramway station which may be utilized both for starting and landing purposes.

In these views the main framework of the apparatus consists of an upper and lower portion similarly constructed and composed of the ends formed of the bars 10,10 and 10 arranged in the form of a triangle and connected by the longitudinal bars 15, 15. These upper and lower portions are provided with a suitable covering of canvas or other light material and are connected by the upright bars of suitable length to leave the desired space between the decks which these upper and lower portions may be called.

Centrally located upon the lower deck are the propelling and steering mechanisms.

The propelling mechanism consists of a screw provided with a shaft 26 journaled within a boxing 27 supported upon the rear cross bar 10 in connection with two central longitudinal bars 28,28, the opposite extremity of these last named bars being secured to the forward cross bar 10. To shaft 27 is rigidly secured a pulley wheel 29 provided with a grooved periphery to receive a belt or cable 30 which connects it with the motor wheel 31,

the hub of which terminates in journals supported in boxes 32 made fast to the central bars 28. In practice this wheel may be rotated by the use of any suitable power, as a storage battery, which is thought preferable. As shown in the drawings the wheel is provided with pedal cranks 33 for use by a person sitting upon a seat 3t supported by bars 28. This mechanism may be considered typical of any suitable means for applying power to the wheel to rotate the screw. The belt in passing from wheel 31 to pulley 29 is guided by smaller pulleys 35, 35 pivoted on hangers 86, 36 secured to bars 28. This belt is further guided by another pulley 37 located between bars 28, and engaging the belt as it passes down beneath the seat.

The steering apparatus is located just forward of the seat and consists of two parts, 40 and 41, occupying planes at right angles to each other. When the machineis notin use,

*the screw.

the normal position of part is horizontal. This part consists of a light frame provided with a suitable covering. A bar 42 of this frame is pivoted in standards 48, and so connected with a downwardly extending arm 44, that part 40 may be adjusted so as to occupy aposition at any angle or inclination to a horizontal plane. The vertical part 41 is secured to arm 44 and bar 45. Arm 44 extends at right angles to bar 45 and is rigidly secured thereto, bar 45 occupying aposition near the upper extremity of the arm and just underneath part 40. Arm 41 extends above bar 45 and is pivoted to a cross bar 42 so that the arm may be turned so as to shift the rudder 41 without altering the position. of part 40, while in adjusting part 40 by moving arm 44 backward, or forward the steering rudder moves therewith.

The object of the mechanism just described is to control the course of the machine by shifting the rudder 41 and to control its upward movement by adjusting part 40 so as to present an inclined face to the atmospheric current created by the ships movement under the influence of the propelling screw.

It is my intention to provide elevated trainway stations from which to start and upon which to land the air ships. The construction shown in Fig. 7 is designed to illustrate a conventional station of this class, and consists of uprights of any suitable length provided with a track curved downwardly between the standards supporting its extremities, and provided with a car 55. At the extremities of these stations platforms are provided with stairways leading from the ground upward thereto for passengers. The machine is set upon the car at one extremity of the track and power applied to rotate the screw, simultaneously with the releasing of the car. As this car starts down the curved track its speed is increased by the action of As the car starts the part 40 is inclined to form a suitable angle with a horizontal plane as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The length of the tramway is such that suflicient speed may be attained to cause the atmospheric current acting on the inclined surface of part 40, to raise the ship from the car. This being accomplished the machine starts on its course and will continue to ascend until the speed is slackened or the inclination of part 40 changed.

These two elements, to-wit, the velocity of the car and the inclination of part 40 must be considered since the one creates the air current and the other utilizes the same. The third element for special consideration is the buoyancy of the ship, which will depend. largely upon the surface area of the decks.

The cabins for passengers will be located in the central portions of the ship around the propelling mechanism and the deck surface extending outward therefrom will be chiefly for the purpose of giving buoyancy to the ship, since the gravity of the material used will not be proportionate to the buoyancy gained thereby. For this purpose there may be a number of decks arranged one above another and connected with the lower deck supporting the cabin and propelling mechanism.

The upper deck of the machine may be provided with a longitudinal vertical plate centrally located and forming a sort of keel to counteract any rolling tendency on the part of the ship, and to assist in maintaining itin equilibrium.

When the aerial navigator in charge of one of these ships desires to land he has only to guide the same in accordance with the principles heretofore explained, to one of the elevated tramway stations and allow the machine to alight, so to speak, thereon.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- In an air ship, the combination of a suitable framework provided with screw propelling mechanism for giving the forward movement, and mechanism for regulating the ascent and descent as well as the direction of the ship, said mechanism consisting of two parts, 40 and 41, part 40 being made fast to a horizontal bar journaled in suitable supports and part 41 made fast to a bar having one extremity journaled in the horizontal bar of the other part, the bars occupying positions at right angles to each other, both parts being controlled by the bar to which part 41 is attached, the last named part being adj ustable independently of part 40, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JEROME B. BLANCHARD.

Witnesses:

WM. MoOoNNELL, G. J. ROLLANDET. 

